ISPE Update
ISPE Student Chapter Profiles: Featured Universities of
the Carolina-South Atlantic Chapter (CASA)
Editor’s Note: This article is part of an
ongoing series profiling ISPE Student
Chapters and the people, education,
research, and activities of tomorrow’s
pharmaceutical professionals.
T
he ISPE Carolina-South Atlantic
Chapter (CASA) provides support
to ISPE Student Chapters at the
following universities: Campbell University (profiled in the March/April issue of PE), Clemson University, James
Madison University, North Carolina
A&T State University, North Carolina
Central University (NCCU), North
Carolina State University (NCSU), and
University of North Carolina-Chapel
Hill (UNC-CH). The following are profiles provided by four of the most active
Student Chapters.
Five Clemson students attended the 2007 East Coast Leadership Forum in NC.
industry experience before they entered the work force.
The Student Chapter began with
approximately ten students and later
grew to 22 in the first year of operation.
The Student Chapter gains new members by advertising for events, tours,
Clemson University
and guest lecturers from industry that
Student Chapter
the Student Chapter sponsors. The
The Clemson University Student ChapStudent Chapter is composed of
ter of ISPE was formed in the spring of
Clemson biosystems and chemical en2006 and was recognized by the unigineering majors. During the first year
versity for funding during the spring of
of operation, Nicole Litton was the
2007. The Clemson Student Chapter
President. Brian Corbett was the Vice
was started by Dr. Caye Drapcho from
President and Darryl Jones was the
Clemson University, Bruce Craven of
Treasurer. During the recent meeting
BE & K, and a few Clemson students
in March 2007, new officers were
who later became the Student Chapter’s
elected. Justin Montanti was elected
first officers. The major goal of the
President for the upcoming year. JesStudent Chapter was to link industry
sica Easterling was elected Vice Presiwith academia to allow students to get
dent, Lindsey Sanders
was elected Treasurer,
and Nylen Simmons was
elected Secretary.
During the 2006 year,
the Student Chapter
toured many companies
in the biotechnology industry. These companies
included IRIX Pharmaceuticals in Green-ville,
SC, Martek in Kings-tree,
SC, Roche in Florence, SC,
and Bausch and Lomb in
Greenville, SC. In addition to company tours, the
Clemson field trip and tour to IRIX Pharmaceuticals.
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PHARMACEUTICAL ENGINEERING MAY/JUNE 2007
Student Chapter sent four members to
attend the ISPE Annual Meeting in
Orlando, Florida. David Johnson, an
ISPE Student Member at Clemson University, won the undergraduate poster
competition in the South East and won
an all-expenses paid trip to present at
the International Student Poster Competition in Orlando.
Members of the Clemson University Student Chapter also attended
ISPE training workships during the
2006 academic year. Five students attended the ISPE East Coast Student
Leadership Forum in Raleigh and networked with employers as well as other
ISPE Student Chapters. Four students
attended the BE & K Fill Finish Facility of the Future seminar and learned
about validation and construction of
future facilities in the biotechnology
industry. The ISPE Student Career
Participating in Clemson's Engineering
and Science Week.
Continued on page 9.
©Copyright ISPE 2007
ISPE Update
ISPE Student Chapter Profile: The Universities of the CASA Chapter
Continued from page 8.
Fair in Raleigh was attended by two
students from the Chapter in February
of 2007.
As our Student Chapter enters our
second year at Clemson we hope to be
further involved in community activities. In February 2007 we hosted a table
at the Engineering and Science Expo
again and reached out to the local youth.
More than 300 middle school students
came to Clemson for the day and participated in various activities to get them
interested in science, math, and engineering. Industry Advisor Bruce Craven participates in many activities and
is always available to help.
North Carolina Central
University Student Chapter
The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Student Chapter of ISPE
recently became an official Student
Chapter. The NCCU Faculty Advisor
is Dr. Weifan Zheng and the Industry
Advisor is Charles Wright, an alumnus of NCCU, who is currently employed at Tyco Healthcare. NCCU currently has 13 Student Members and
hopes to steadily increase their membership over the coming years. Some of
the students have already benefited
from a tour organized at Biogen Idec.
Below is a description of a unique program which allows for the perfect environment for an ISPE Student Chapter.
NCCU has established the
Biomanufacturing Research Institute
and Technology Enterprise (BRITE)
Center of Excellence. BRITE will provide the biomanufacturing industry
with skilled workers who are prepared
to pursue careers in biopharmaceutical
science and management. The 52,000
square foot state-of-art facility is currently under construction and scheduled to be completed by Fall 2007. The
Golden Leaf Foundation Inc. has provided a grant of $17.8 million for the
construction of the BRITE facility. In
2005, the Golden Leaf Foundation Inc.
awarded BRITE $1.5 million for additional laboratory equipment.
As a component of the North Caro-
lina Biomanufacturing and Pharmaceutical Training Consortium, BRITE
will offer education and training in
biotechnology and biomanufacturing
for students at the Bachelors, Masters,
and Doctoral levels.
Biomanufacturing related programs
would initially focus on bioprocess improvement, bioanalytical, and formulation sciences. The University is developing its curriculum to train students to become competitive in working in a biomanufacturing or a biotechnology related company. Coursework
will include microbiology, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, instrumentation, and analytical chemistry
for the first three years. New courses
focusing on biomanufacturing topics
will be added throughout the four-year
curriculum. In the senior year, students will participate in specific projects
in laboratory modules that will simulate the work environment of the
biomanufacturing industry. This model
will build upon NCCU’s successful investment in the Julius L. Chambers
Biotechnology/Biomedical Research
Institute. In the five years since this
state-of-the-art facility opened, it has
attracted top scientists who are training students in cardiovascular biology,
neuroscience, cancer, and genomics in
an environment that replicates the
laboratories found in industry.
Interdisciplinary biology and chemistry concentrations will provide a solid
foundation in the sciences and specialized education in biomanufacturing
competencies. Students from community colleges will enter into the BRITE
program at the junior level. Many summer courses will be offered to students
as a flexible entry into the BRITE programs. Students will also be able to
take courses in the schools of business
and law for intellectual property and
business ethics that will augment the
small and medium-sized biotechnology company.
The BRITE program will provide
students with fellowship and internship opportunities depending on their
academic performance and merits on a
competitive basis. BRITE’s academic
program will provide collaborations and
logistical support for biomanufacturing
and biotechnology industries.
The BRITE program will deliver
educational programs that provide essential hands-on training and highquality students to meet and exceed
the current needs of the biomanufacturing, pharmaceutical, and agribiotechnology industries in North Carolina. Professional science Masters degrees and Doctorates in bioprocess and
biopharmaceutical sciences will produce future technical and business leaders, a development that will ensure
this industry cluster remains vital and
innovative well into the future.
Initially, NCCU students with a science major in biology or chemistry (or
other scientific major, such as environmental science, physics and mathematics) and students from community colleges with an interest in biotechnology
will benefit from such training experience. It is projected that 40 students
per year will graduate from the BRITE
program; eventually the number of students will increase. Incumbent workers currently employed in the operational sector of biomanufacturing can
also be trained in the BRITE program
to prepare them for moving up to the
other sectors of their company.
North Carolina State
University Student Chapter
The North Carolina State University
Student Chapter of ISPE was founded
in 1995 by Jane Brown, Dan Dunbar,
and Dr. Peter Kilpatrick. They felt that
students were an untapped resource
and knew that ISPE had a lot to offer
these future professionals. Students
at North Carolina State University
(NCSU) recognize that ISPE is a gateway into the pharmaceutical and
biotech industry as well as a resource
for industry information, networking,
and career development.
The NCSU Student Chapter currently has 20 members. The majors
Continued on page 10.
©Copyright ISPE 2007
MAY/JUNE 2007 PHARMACEUTICAL ENGINEERING
9
ISPE Update
ISPE Student Chapter Profile: The Universities of the CASA Chapter
Continued from page 9.
NCSU participation in the 2007 East Coast Student Leadership Forum.
NCSU alumni.
Chapter and the NCSU American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE)
in which 80 industry professionals
(NCSU and Campbell University faculty) and students attended.
The NCSU Student Chapter hosted
the 2007 ISPE East Coast Student
Leadership Forum on its campus and
had the privilege of working with industry professionals who offered support to students and organized the
event. Within the community, the Student Chapter holds an annual toy
drive outside of a local Toys “R” Us
and has collected hundreds of toys to
support the local CASA Chapter Toys
for Tots toy drive. Members of
the Student Chapter also participated as volunteers at the
local Walk for Life event in
2006 and plan to volunteer
again this year.
The NCSU Student Chapter
has many outstanding accomplishments. There are several
ISPE International Student
Poster Competition winners
from the Chapter, including
Ryan Hill and Kristen Jones.
NCSU student Jeffrey Stowe
won the 2007 CASA Chapter
regional poster competition in
the undergraduate category.
Young alumni, including JenNCSU students collect toys for the CASA Chapter
nifer Brown-Chin, Jennifer
Toys for Tots drive.
Lauria Clark, Kari Lauria Delahunty,
Sherry Nelson, and Ryan Hill have
stayed highly involved in student development for ISPE since their graduation. The continued involvement of
these former students is proof that the
goal for founding the Student Chapters has been realized.
Current officers are Shannon Manning, President; Stephen Gregory and
Chad Thompson, Vice Presidents; Lisa
Saxon, Treasurer (and former President); Christine Virgilio, Secretary; and
Kimberly Shearer, Publicity Chair.
Advisors include Industry Advisors Joel
Youngblood, (Talecris - Planning and
Production Scheduling, Supply Chain)
and Ryan Hill, (Talecris - PAT Engineer), and Faculty Advisor Marcello
Tellez, Assistant Director for Student
Coordination of the Golden LEAF
Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC).
The BTEC is an exciting new facility being built on NCSU’s Centennial
Campus. This facility will provide students the opportunity to learn about
biomanufacturing at the pilot scale in
a cGMP modeled environment. For
more information on BTEC please visit
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/btec/index.
php. With this new facility and the
support of its faculty, the NCSU Student Chapter expects to see accelerated growth within the next five years.
represented in this Chapter include
chemical and biomolecular engineering, microbiology, and food science. The
NCSU Student Chapter has monthly
dinner meetings providing free food
and industry speakers. The marketing
for student involvement includes word
of mouth, e-mail, and flyers across campus. The Student Chapter also utilizes
the student-focused Carolina-South
Atlantic Chapter events to promote
the benefits of membership. Student
Chapter activities include monthly
meetings and CASA Chapter sponsored
events. Recently, the Student Chapter
held a joint meeting with the CASA
Concludes on page 11.
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PHARMACEUTICAL ENGINEERING MAY/JUNE 2007
©Copyright ISPE 2007
ISPE Update
ISPE Student Chapter Profile: The Universities of the CASA Chapter
Continued from page 10.
University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill
Student Chapter
and pursuing a Masters degree at North
Carolina State University. After UNC
had interested Student Members and
advisors, they were on their way to
The University of North Carolinahaving a successful ISPE Student
Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) Student ChapChapter.
ter of ISPE had a unique start. One of
There is another component that
the founding members of the Campbell
makes the UNC-CH Student Chapter
University Student Chapter helped to
of ISPE unique – graduate students.
start the UNC-CH Student Chapter.
The UNC-CH Student Chapter was
Along with the help of Jane Brown,
first made up predominately of graducurrently the ISPE Chairman, Wendy
ate students pursuing a wide-variety
Haines started a Student Chapter at
of scientific Doctorate degrees. Most of
the University where she was pursuthese students were interested in obing her graduate degree. Haines entaining jobs in the pharmaceutical inlisted her toxicology classmates: Anicka
dustry and being involved in ISPE was
Bissahoya, Elmarie Bodes, Sharon
a step in the right direction. Not many
Oxendine, and Checo Rorie to make up
student organizations can help scienthe first five members and officers of
tific graduate students learn more
the UNC-CH Student Chapter in 1999.
about industry, go on plant tours, and
These students helped to find the first
network with professionals working in
Faculty Advisor, Dr. Catherine
industry. ISPE Student Chapters proHammett-Stabler. Dr. Hammett-Stavide all of these things and more.
bler was a new faculty member of the
Since the UNC-CH Student ChapPathology Department and thought
ter is made up of mostly PhD candithat ISPE would be a good way to
dates, this Student Chapter has had
introduce students and herself to the
some very interesting meetings. Chief
pharmaceutical/biotechnology indusToxicologist for the Medical Examiner,
try. With the help of ISPE HeadquarDr. Ruth Winecker, took students
ters, the students were also able to ask
through crime-scene photos and toxian eager UNC-CH alumna, Jennifer
cological results to determine cause of
Williams, to be their Industry Advisor.
death. UNC-CH has had a former FBI
Williams was then employed at Bayer
agent, Cecil Yates, discuss espionage cases and describe
what it is like to work for the
FBI. There have been other discussions with published authors on how to give scientific
presentations. HR managers
have given tips on resume writing and interviewing skills.
Former students come back to
talk about their jobs in industry.
In 2000, ISPE unveiled the
first ever Student Poster Competition. The competition was
for a current full-time undergraduate or graduate student.
The Carolina-South Atlantic
(CASA) Chapter had about 20
students compete at the local
2001 Student Poster Competition Graduate Winner:
level. Susan Bielmeier, graduWendy Haines, University of North Carolina.
©Copyright ISPE 2007
2004 Student Poster Competition
Graduate Winner: Gillian S. Backus,
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
ate student in Toxicology at UNC-CH,
won the CASA Chapter competition
and went on to win the International
Student Poster Competition. Since
then, the UNC-CH has had three other
graduate students win at the International Student Poster Competition.
UNC-CH has had a total of four International Student Poster winners.
Today, UNC-CH is trying to focus
on recruiting undergraduate students
to be involved in ISPE. The Student
Chapter feels that more undergraduate students would make the decision
to pursue jobs in industry if only someone told and showed them this great
opportunity. Due to the current Faculty Advisor pursing a career opportunity elsewhere, UNC-CH is looking for
a new Faculty Advisor. Patrick
Buckner, of NNE, is an alumnus of
UNC-CH and the current Industry
Advisor for the UNC-CH Student Chapter.
The CASA Chapter recently had a
local student poster competition and a
UNC-CH graduate student, Stacey
Foti, won in the graduate category.
The UNC-CH Student Chapter wishes
her luck at the International Student
Poster Competition at the 2007 ISPE
Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Student Chapter Members are the future of ISPE and ISPE leadership. The
UNC-CH Student Chapter would like
to thank all who have supported ISPE
students and encourages continued
support.
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